We went to Beczak Environmental Center today to see a program about Eco-Art. The kids used recycled materials and found materials to build a bird terrarium. Everyone had a great time and built interesting little terrariums for their stuffed or paper birds. What a great way to use recycled materials to produce art.
Picking out what material to use.

Adding glitter to make it sparkle Finished Product

More views of the finished product.






Dakota has a great time every time we go to Beczak. After the class today the kids went down by the river just in time to see a Pirate Ship go by. It was a beautiful site. They turned around in the water so we had the chance to view it from all sides. They finally lowered all the sails and began their journey back up the Hudson River.

Dakota and Daddy

Today was Rocket Club day. Dakota is inspecting his rocket to make sure it has enough wadding in it. The wadding helps to make sure that the parachute doesn't catch on fire from the explosion the motor makes when it is launched.

Now he is preparing the parachute.

Attaching the wires to the igniter.

And it's off.

What goes up must come down.

Rocketing is a fun hobby for the whole family. Dakota and Dad build the rockets together. And I make parachutes for them. Then we go to Rocket Club every month to launch them. It's a great way to spend time together. Rocketry also teaches kids about things like safety, physics, aerodynamics, and how to work with your hands. My husband says this is a skill that has long been forgotten and most schools don't teach it any more. If you want to see how much fun this can be pack a lunch and come on down to Bridgewater on the third Saturday of the month. But you must beware....... Of the dreaded rocket eating tree.

Produce Bags

Something new I've just added to my Etsy store is produce bags. These lightweight hemp muslin bags add very little weight to the total of your produce. A ten by twelve bag only weighs one ounce. In some markets you can even take your bags to the customer service counter and have them weighed and marked with the weight. Then when you go to cashout, the clerk deducts the weight of your bag from the weight of the produce so you aren't charged for it at all.

The set I have listed includes a 10 by 12 bag and a 8.5 by 9.5 bag made out of hemp muslin and closed with a cotton draw string. But I am willing to custom make whatever size bag you would like to have. I hand braid the cotton draw string cord for added strength. What a great way to save on throw away plastic.

Bowl Covers

Like I said in my intro, I sew to help pay for some of our activities. One of the things that I make are bowl covers. No, not that kind of bowl, serving bowls, to store food in the frig. My bowl covers are made out of PUL. This is 100% cotton fabric that is laminated with polyurethane. The polyurethane helps keep the food fresh and helps to eliminate odors coming in from other foods. I can make them in a variety of patterns. Right now I have four different patterns listed on my etsy store. Come on over and check them out.

http://hippiefairylover.etsy.com

So now I have a blog. Everyone I know online has a blog. Many of the people I know IRL have blogs. So now I have a blog. I don't have any idea what I'm going to say on this blog. But we'll see how it goes.

First off, let me say that I am a mom. I have six children who range in age from almost 40 year old Rob down to almost 7 year old Dakota. I''m also a grandmom. I have eight grandbabies. They range in age from 17 years old down to six months old.

I stay at home these days to homeschool Dakota. Most days I love being a homeschooling mom. But there are days I'm ready to take him right off to the nearest school. I guess all moms have days like that. In order to help pay the bills, well okay, not the bills, but a few of the extras that we like to do, I have a small store on Etsy. http://hippiefairylover.etsy.com . Stop by when you get the chance to see my handmade sandwich wraps, snack bags, washcloths, and newly added produce bags. Help support my family and help save the environment at the same time.

Well, I guess this is about all I can think of to say tonight. At least its a start. Stop by and visit me again.